Welcome to FOTMD, Grizelda. It's good to have you aboard. I look forward to hearing your recordings. John Jacob Niles is quite a character to emulate. For most folks he is somewhat of an acquired taste. It take a bit listening to get accustomed to his performances. As to "historical" dulcimer songs a good resource is Cecil Sharp's and Olive Dame Campbell's, English Folks Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. You can do an internet search for it. It is now in the public domain so you can read it on the internet. Most of the songs were collected unaccompanied by an instrument. Sharp did not listen to dulcimer players, but these ballads would have been known to and sung by dulcimer players. I look forward to you participation here.
Welcome to FOTMD, Grizelda. It's good to have you aboard. I look forward to hearing your recordings. John Jacob Niles is quite a character to emulate. For most folks he is somewhat of an acquired taste. It take a bit listening to get accustomed to his performances. As to "historical" dulcimer songs a good resource is Cecil Sharp's and Olive Dame Campbell's, English Folks Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. You can do an internet search for it. It is now in the public domain so you can read it on the internet. Most of the songs were collected unaccompanied by an instrument. Sharp did not listen to dulcimer players, but these ballads would have been known to and sung by dulcimer players. I look forward to you participation here.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."